


Our Little Secret

by uniquepov



Series: Snarry LDWS Round 5 (Mini-fic Challenge) [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-22
Updated: 2012-04-22
Packaged: 2017-11-05 08:30:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/404380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uniquepov/pseuds/uniquepov
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus shares a memory with Harry.</p><p>Week 2<br/>Prompt: Animagus</p>
            </blockquote>





	Our Little Secret

**Author's Note:**

> I participated in Round 5 of the [](http://snarry-ldws.livejournal.com/profile)[**snarry_ldws**](http://snarry-ldws.livejournal.com/) \- the Mini-Fic challenge! I was lucky enough to make it to the final two, where the inimitable [](http://literaryspell.livejournal.com/profile)[**literaryspell**](http://literaryspell.livejournal.com/) took home the gold, as they say.
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** I solemnly swear that I am up to no good; however, I promise to return everyone, good as new, when I'm done playing with them. I own nothing that you recognize, and I do not profit from any of it.

“Animagi.” Severus’s tone was flat with disbelief.

“Er, yeah. That’s how they were able to sneak out of the castle every full moon. And stay safe around Remus. When… you know.”

“When the full moon rose.”

Harry nodded.

“Unregistered Animagi. All _three_ of them?”

Harry gave a sheepish shrug.

Severus shook his head. “I cannot _believe_ that the likes of Peter Pettigrew, James Potter and Sirius Black mastered the Animagus transformation _while still at school_ , and managed to keep quiet about it. ”

“Well, I don’t know about Wormtail,” Harry said quietly. “But Sirius and my dad did it to help a friend. They kept that secret to their graves.”

Severus gave a curt nod, unwilling to delve into such old hurts so early in their …relationship.

Harry, sensing the same danger, hastily changed the subject. “Have _you_ ever attempted the Animagus transformation?”

Severus was silent for a long moment. Then, “Have you?”

Harry grinned. “I tried, yeah. I wanted to become a stag like my dad. But all I managed to do was give myself hairballs.”

“I suppose you will have to settle for being the only Parselmouth for a generation,” Severus remarked drily, swirling the wine in his glass as he stared into the fire.

“Severus.” Harry scooted forward in his chair, setting his own glass on the coffee table. “Now you’ve got me curious. _Have_ you managed to become an Animagus?”

Severus stared into his glass, his expression mutinous.

“There’s no shame in _not_ being able to do it, Severus. Only a few witches and wizards are able to accomplish it, yeah?”

“And achieving any sort of creature is difficult enough, to hear Minerva tell it,” Severus replied in a monotone. “But to have one’s Animagus form be some sort of magical creature would be the most prestigious of all.”

Something in his tone made Harry look up sharply. “You tried. At Hogwarts.”

Severus gave no acknowledgement.

Harry slid down to the floor and rested his hands on the other man’s knees. “You _can’t_ be upset that they accomplished it when you couldn’t.”

“Who says I couldn’t?” Severus snapped.

Harry sat back on his heels. “What? That’s brilliant! What form do you take?”

Severus raised an eyebrow and regarded Harry steadily.

“We called you the ‘bat of the dungeons’ at school,” Harry teased. “I don’t suppose…”

“No,” Severus replied icily. “Certainly not. I managed something a bit less… plebeian, at least.”

“A magical creature, then? Fantastic! Do you turn into a griffin? Hippogriff? Or… a dragon?”

Severus put his glass on the side table and leaned forward, burying his face in his hands with a mumble.

“I didn’t quite hear that,” Harry said with a smile.

With a groan, Severus sat back in his chair and drew his wand. “ _Legillimens_ ,” he whispered.

Harry braced himself, but rather than the invasion he’d expected, he found himself drawn into Severus’s mind, instead. In a mixture of amusement, fascination, and shock, he watched as a teenaged Severus successfully completed his first Animagus transformation and changed into a...

As the memory ended in a swirl of purple fur, Harry looked at Severus, struggling to keep the corners of his mouth from quirking upwards. “Ah,” he managed.

“Indeed. So we shall not speak of this again. Ever.”

“Of course not, Severus,” Harry agreed, turning away to hide the grin he could no longer suppress. “It’ll be our little secret.”

* * *

The next day, Severus received a package by owl post.

_S-_

_I didn’t want you to be lonely. It’ll still be our little secret._

_-H_

Quirking an eyebrow at the note, Severus opened the wrapping and stared in disbelief at the small, purple Pygmy Puff nestled safely inside…

…and smiled.


End file.
